


An Understanding

by knightinpinkunderwear



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Arkham Asylum, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Consulting, Corpses, Crushes, Don't copy to another site, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Forensics, GCPD, Gee Cee Pee Dee, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Moral Dilemmas, Murder, Murder Mystery, Past Child Abuse, Puzzles, Riddles, Serial Killers, Silence of the Lambs References, Therapy, Vigilantism, ed always had a crush on foxy fight me, ed gets real help, forensic science, similar set up to sotl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-05-14 21:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19281226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightinpinkunderwear/pseuds/knightinpinkunderwear
Summary: Forensic science isn't too far out of Lucius' comfort zone, but that doesn't mean he is the most qualified person for the job. He isn't bad per se, but he does find, reading through his predecessor's notes; that he might need a bit of help or guidance if he is going to excel.Which is what brought him to Arkham Asylum, to seek the intellectual aide of a serial murderer, bomber, and thief.It wasn't like Edward Nygma could turn him down, the Asylum had to be boring for someone as eccentric and curious as Nygma.





	An Understanding

**Author's Note:**

> The same basic premise of Silence of the Lambs.  
> Lucius needs help with solving crimes, Ed is an expert even if he is a murderer and is being currently housed in an asylum for the criminally insane. 
> 
> No cannibalism. 
> 
> Warnings: Gross imagery, gore, etc. Moral discussions on murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Hope you will enjoy.

Lucius took a deep breath. Forensics was a remarkably complex science. It required a huge breadth and variance of knowledge and the ability to recall any of such knowledge at any given time. It was very intellectually demanding. 

Each possible finding depended on so many different variables. It easily fell into the argumentative line of _is this underthinking or overthinking_ and another internal debate on where the line was actually drawn. 

The fact that Lucius had never actually studied forensic science also left him at an alarming disadvantage. While he was more than competent in the chemistry, biology, and physics that played into it, there was just so much one needed to know and how to know when each scientific lens was needed was not as clear cut as it had first seemed. 

For example, how moss or fungus might aid in or hinder the decomposition of a body. 

Or explosives...he had only as much knowledge on them as anyone who'd watched lots of spy movies as a kid. Which was not much of any actual scientific value. (Though he did miraculously defuse that one bomb...)

And he was not that well versed in botany or entomology, or arachnology for that matter. 

He was also not the most familiar with the pressure or strength needed to accomplish various blows and in general... just needed some help. 

Which would be difficult. 

Given the fact that the only person with those qualifications was his predecessor, currently incarcerated in Arkham Asylum; a hospital and penitentiary for the "Criminally Insane". 

Not to mention that Edward Nygma had been charged with 19 counts of first-degree murder and that at least four of those people had been GCPD employees. Nygma's co-workers at the time. 

That was also leaving out the fact that the last time they'd met he'd been dangling Captian Bullock over the edge of a third floor railing with an antidote around his neck to "cure" the room full of police academy cadets he'd claimed to have poisoned. That also left out that all of Lucius' recent interactions and conversations with the man had been at gunpoint. 

And that he was only captured and incarcerated after kidnapping the mayor and strapping the man up with a vest made with enough explosives to bring down Wayne Towers. 

Yes. It would be difficult to gain approval from Harvey to get help from Nygma. 

And even if he did there was no guarantee that Nygma would actually help. 

But this case was ridiculously difficult, and Lucius was in dire need of help. 

Especially since it seemed to be a serial murderer, not a serial killer with set patterns, a repeated killer whose only patterns were a word tattoed in blue on the left wrist of the victim and a five dollar bill stuffed down their throat. Even the method of killing was usually varied. The victims had nothing in common other than the simple fact they resided in Gotham. 

There were old women, old men, children, a med student, a low pay-grade gangster, and the latest; a preschool teacher and her two-year-old daughter. 

In total; seven killings in the span of two months. The last four had happened in the span of five days. 

Given Gotham's reputation and history of serial killers, the media was not very interested. So, at least there was no hysteria or traveling paranoia. 

But it was still urgent. There was a killer on the loose and they certainly had a taste for blood and were not going to stop anytime soon. 

Which is why he was at the glass door to the captain's office hoping that he could both gain permission, and help. 

 

Miraculously, Bullock agreed, even conceded that if nothing else Nygma had been damn good at his job. 

The entrance gate to Arkham Asylum for the criminally insane was eerie and unwelcoming. More resembling a location from a horror movie or video game than an actual treatment center for the mentally ill.

Though he supposed the criminally insane warranted less sympathy or empathy from the general public. And therefore could be given worse and less welcoming surroundings because the local governments did not have to worry that their treatment being a concern of their voters.

The waiting room was more of a hallway. Before entering they checked The files he brought to ensure there was only paper.

The visitation room was dingy. The lights dim and the grubby windows on one wall a much better source of lighting. The table was cold metal and so were the chairs, it had a loop on the table surface to attach handcuffs, just like those in the interrogation rooms at the precinct. 

However, the precinct seemed better maintained. Lucius swore he saw some nice and rat droppings on the way in and didn't want to think about the poor, unsanitary conditions the inmates' rooms or showers might be in. 

Edward Nygma was escorted in a few moments later, cuffed and being shoved along by two guards. The fat, horizontal stripes of the uniform made him appear a prisoner in his own body. 

A large yellowing patch over his heart read D-171. His hair was a mess and his glasses a little scratched up. 

He looked confused. 

"What are you doing here?" Nygma asked as soon as the guards left. 

"I need your help." 

His eyes were suspicious and calculating. Though he was biting back a bit of a grin, pride perhaps, the man did like to have his ego stroked. 

"How so?" His eyes started analyzing the case file's manila folder, hungry for mental stimulation, for a puzzle, for a riddle to solve. 

"I confess, I am not really experianced in the feild of forensic science, and while I have a basic grasp of what it entails and an understanding of the natural sciences, I do not have the skills to put the puzzle together," 

"And...?" 

"I'd like you to consult on this case, I'm stumped and you are the most qualified experianced and efficient forensic scientist I know," 

"How did you get approval for this?" Edward asked, still suspicious, "I was fired from the GCPD after killing three of my coworkers and framing a fourth for murder," 

"To quote Captain Bullock; you may be a killer, but you were also damn good at your job." 

Edward blanched at that. 

"So, you've come to the smartest man in Gotham for help?" Nygma asked, masking the vulnerability and appreciation of the compliment with some narcissism and as much showmanship as one can have while his hands were loosely cuffed to a table. His grin was almost predatory. 

Lucius waited for the spectacle to end. 

"Well, go on, it's not like I've got anything better to do around here!"

"The first victim was male-" Lucius started, relieved despite being in the close vicinity of a serial murderer. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This will not be updated for a few months, sorry, I'll be working on other projects in the meantime.


End file.
